Beads
by alishmagna
Summary: He looked at the beaded bracelet on his wrist. Black white black white, those were the twelve round beads they were the only thing held the vengeful spirit inside of him in check.
1. Black White Black White

Black and White

Kyou Sohma sighed and leaned back to rest on the roof of the house. He gazed up into the night sky and contemplated the turn of events. She had seen his other form; not the cute furry orange cat, but the horribly ugly demon that you could smell from a mile away. Sure, she had been afraid… who wouldn't have been? But she had tracked him down and looked for him even after he had turned tail and fled. Her courage made him love her even more. God he loved her. He loved every single thing; her voice, her attitude, her beauty, even her naïveté.

Kyou sighed again and ran his hand through his orange locks. Frustration filled him. He looked at the beaded bracelet on his wrist. Black white black white, those were the twelve round beads that held the vengeful spirit inside of him in check. He couldn't remember where he had gotten them from. Probably from the old cat, Kazuma's grandfather. He hated that bracelet with a passion. So many times he had longed to cast off the beads and break the hold they had on him… but the consequences of that single act would be horrifying. The few times he had actually changed into that accursed form had stuck out in his memory. He remembered the first time he had changed. He tried to attend the New Years banquet; he was five. He had snuck in and Akito had found him. Akito pushed him out of the hall and into the courtyard. Akito threw him to the dirt and pulled off the beads.

It was like something was eating Kyou from the inside. The pain was excruciating. And the smell _"Like something dead and rotting"_ … that was worse than the pain. Seeing his mother, horror struck, vomit from the awful smell that was coming from HIM… And all during the transformation was Akito, watching him go through all that with that disgustingly smug look on his face.

Kyou rolled over on his side; he would probably fall asleep up here again. He felt so stifled in his room. Sometimes it was hard to breathe in there. If it was this hard just being in his room, what would it be like when Akito locked him away? The thought of it terrified him so much. The fear of imprisonment; of never being able to see her again…

Kyou grunted with displeasure. It was all that Damn Rat's fault; everything. He was the one everyone adored; he was perfect, everything Kyou wasn't. The Rat wasn't going to get locked away! The Rat wasn't going to be robbed of a future! And that Damn Rat didn't have to wear this dammed bracelet!

Kyou was fuming now. He wanted to drive his fist right through the roof and right into Yuki's face while he was at it. "God Dammit!" Kyou cried aloud. The urge to rip that bracelet off his wrist was overwhelming. But once again, the knowledge of the consequences held him back, although an idea occurred to him while the memories of last week had floated through his mind. "I could probably beat Yuki in my other form…"

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Alishmagna here. Hows everybody liking the first chapter? Just a warning, chapters are going to be pretty short because im going to be updating more often. Don't worry, im not going to turn Kyou into some sadist bent on destroying Yuki or anything. I'm gonna try and keep everybody in character. If I don't, you have permission to slap me (not very hard). So let me know what you guys think, I haven't decided the pairings yet so give me suggestions alrighty? Ali out!


	2. Lost?

Tohru Honda was up late that night. She hadn't been sleeping well the past few nights; not since she saw Kyou's other form... She had been having bad nightmares about it. He had really scared her. Not just because the form was scary; but mostly because she was afraid she had lost him. Tohru had never felt so cut off from Kyou before. Sure, sometimes he would retreat to the roof or get moody but she always felt that she could talk to him. But that night, when those beads came off him wrist; it was terrifying.

Tohru crawled out of bed; maybe a glass of warm milk would help her sleep. She was in the hallway when she heard a noise from the roof. _"Looks like I'm not the only on who can't sleep." _She smiled to herself.

She walked downstairs to the kitchen to get some milk for the two of them. While she was waiting for it to warm her thoughts began to wander. They meandered to what had been occupying her mind for the last few weeks; Kyou.

Kyou was an interesting man. He was so complex... frustrating sometimes but he could be so sweet. He was passionate about absolutely everything. He seemed to be so strong yet at the same time he was vulnerable and lost. Her thoughts wandered to different aspects of Kyou but were interrupted by the beeping of the microwave.

Blushing furiously, Tohru poured the milk into a thermos and head up to the roof. As she was climbing the ladder she heard, "I could probably beat Yuki in my other form..."

Tohru was so shocked she nearly fell off the ladder. _"He wants to turn into that thing again just so he can beat Yuki-kun!" _Tohru regained her footing and continued up the ladder.

"Kyou-kun?" She asked timidly, "I heard you up here and I thought you might be having trouble sleeping and my mother always told me that it was important to get a full eight hours of sleep a night so I thought some warm milk might help." She had said all of that in one breath. She inhaled deeply. How could she forget to breathe? Why did Kyou always make her so flustered?

"Yeah sure, I could go for some milk." Kyou said as he shuffled over to make room for Tohru.

Tohru handed him the thermos as she said, "Kyou... you aren't really going to try and fight Yuki-kun in your other form are you?"

Kyou looked uncomfortable. "So you heard that huh? Well, I-"

"Because my mother always said it was dangerous to become fixated on one thing; something you would be willing to do anything to get." Tohru burst in afraid that she would lose her nerve if she waited any longer. "Kyou-kun, that form scares me. It's like you become a different person altogether. Nothing should be worth giving up a part of yourself. Ah! But you shouldn't let me tell you what to do, it really isn't any of my business, I'm very sorry Kyou-kun it's not my place I shouldn't have been so-"

Kyou put a finger over her mouth to silence her. "Look, it was just a passing thought, I wasn't seriously considering it. When I beat that Damn Rat it'll be fair and square!" His eyes were aflame now; burning with hope and confidence.

Tohru smiled. "I'm glad Kyou-kun. I don't know what I would do if I lost you again."

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Alishmagna here. REVIEW ME! I don't know what you guys want to read unless you guys tell me:P Thanx to all the guys who have reviewed, I absolutely adore hearing from you guys, like I said before, im a review addict. :D


	3. Broken

Tohru smiled. "I'm glad Kyou-kun. I don't know what I would do if I lost you again."

"If you lost me?" Now it was Kyou's turn to look confused.

Tohru blushed slightly, "Well, it's just that, when you turned into ... your other form it was like you became a totally different person. It was like you weren't Kyou anymore, like you were lost. And that scared me most of all."

The redhead gave her a little smile, "I promise I wont leave you." Kyou looked a little flustered, he continued on, "I'll always be here so don't worry!"

Kyou gave Tohru a hearty pat on the back. Maybe a little too hard... Tohru began to slide forward. "Uhhh, Kyou-kun?"

"_... Well, of course, I wont ALWAYS be here. I have to go to school and stuff...Why do you always have to say such stupid things around her?" _Kyou was lost in his thoughts and not paying attention to the girl beside him.

"Kyou-kun!" To keep herself from falling off the roof she grabbed onto Kyou's wrist.

Shigure really was right when he said cat-like reflexes didn't apply to Kyou. Even with all that extra training he still hadn't been able to beat Yuki, and now the redhead seemed to be moving in slow motion, like when they replayed a particularly awesome, or insanely stupid, move in football. Kyou was sure he fell into the insanely stupid category right now. Frame by frame he watched as Tohru's grip on his wrist loosened. Desperately, her hold on he boy was now centered on the only thing keeping her from falling off the roof; those beads. Fear raced through her. As fast as he could, Kyou reached with his other hand to grab Tohru, afraid that any sudden movements with his left hand would cause the girl to fall, but it was too late. The bracelet, that was the only thing that had kept the vengeful spirit of the cat at bay for generations, broke.

"KYOU!" Tohru screamed as she fell off the roof, those black and white beads tumbling after her.

Moments later, a soft thud rang out, pounding in Kyou's ears. Kyou was in shock... he let her fall. How could he let her fall! HOW COULD HE LET HER FALL! Kyou scrambled to the edge of the roof. He peered down and saw Tohru lying there.

Luckily, Tohru had fallen on the large bushes beside the house and didn't appear to be to damaged. In fact; she wasn't even unconscious. Her eye's were wide open; she was also in shock.

Scattered around her were the twelve beads of the bracelet. Kyou stared at them in shock. His wrist had never felt so naked. Sighing, he sat back and waited for the impending and this time permanent transformation.

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DUN DUN DUN! Will Kyou's transformation be unreversable this time? Will the weight of his newly transformed body finally crush shigure's house once and for all? Will I ever get a life outside of anime? Tune in, same bat place, same bat time...

;; I watched the whole series last weekend. Yup we had a marathon, it was pretty awesome. I always cry at the end, and when momiji talks about his mom. :'( very sad.

But anyways. What do you guys think? A big thank you to all you guys who reviewed, you guys are supertabulous. XD


	4. Transformation?

Scattered around her were the twelve beads of the bracelet. Kyou stared at them in shock. His wrist had never felt so naked. Sighing, he sat back and waited for the impending and this time permanent transformation.

There was a pain deep inside his stomach. It was sharp, but not quite as excruciating as a few weeks ago. And then there was that smell. It was milder…

Kyou nimbly jumped off of the roof; not wanting to remain on the roof in his transformed state. He landed, catlike, on all fours but his left hand slipped on one of the beads. His head made contact with the hard ground and for a moment, all Kyou could see was stars.

"Kyou-kun!" Tohru called, rising from the bushes, still a little bewildered. "Are you alright?"

Kyou collapsed on the soil, partially from the transformation and partially from the impact of his head on the earth. He laid there in the dirt and closed his eyes. His sharpened ears heard Tohru walk towards him.

"_Please go away,"_ He thought desperately, _"I don't want her to see me like this again."_

His ears also picked up another sound. It was like steam escaping from a kettle, only… it was like the steam was whispering incoherently to him. Kyou heard Tohru breathe in sharply. "Kyou-kun, look at the beads…"

Kyou slowly opened his eyes, wincing from the pain of the light, even though it was a few hours before dawn. The first thing he saw after his eyes had adjusted was a few stray beads. There was some type of smoke coming from the scattered remnants of the bracelet. The whispering grew more intense, it was louder now; even Tohru could hear it, although it was Kyou who could make out stray words here and there.

"Separate... souls... longer divided…"

Soon the smoke began to cease and with it went the pain, mostly. When all of it had dissipated there was only a dull ache in his abdomen.

Kyou reached forward and began to gather the beads together; he needed to find a way to fix them or he might never be able to transform back. When he had all the twelve beads in his hand he took a closer look at them. He had always wanted to know what held the bracelet together. Hair! No wonder it had broken, it had been bound together by braided strands of hair. Kyou looked at the faded strands; they were so old the locks seemed to be more blonde than orange, but Kyou knew better.

"Kyou-kun?" Tohru said timidly, "Why haven't you transformed?"

Kyou did a quick mental examination of himself. There was that ache in his stomach and there was a faint odor that still lingered… but Kyou's senses… He was hearing and seeing things he wouldn't have normally even if he had been in his furry orange cat form. It was a little disorientating at first, but he grew accustomed to it quickly.

"I… don't think I will…" Kyou said with awe.

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Hello it is I your local paper boy, come to deliver the news of the day!

Sorry about the late update guys, I was a little distracted by the shortest relationship known to humanity :S but anyways. Heres a little chapter for you before I head up to Artstrek in Red Deer (that's right! Im going to drama camp! ) 8-) but yeah, ill be gone for a bit.. sorry guys, ;;


	5. The Fallen Prince

"I... don't think I will..." Kyou said with awe.

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Tohru stood in the kitchen peeling carrots for that night's supper, thinking about that night. It was less than a week ago but to Tohru, it seemed so long ago. Ever since that night, Kyou-kun seemed so different. It was slow at first; hard to notice, but compared to who he was before that night the person in the kitchen arguing with Yuki-kun was completely different.

"Maybe he's just getting used to not being cursed?" Tohru thought to herself.

Kyou didn't want the other family members to know about him breaking the curse and asked Tohru to keep quiet about the whole thing. True to her word she had kept her mouth shut and pretended not to notice when Kyou wore long sleeved shirts that were much too warm for the weather just to hide the fact that the beads were missing on his wrist.

Keeping such a big thing secret weighed heavily on Tohru. Sighing she added the freshly chopped carrots to the stew and carried the pot into the other room.

"Dammit! I smell leeks in that!" Kyou said from the table.

Tohru began to spew forth apologies when she was interrupted by Yuki.

"Stupid cat, how can you smell leeks in a stew from that far away?"

"I just CAN, you damn rat!"

"What has been your problem lately? You've been more moody than ever, and God, I know cats hate water but would it kill you to take a shower? You smell like you just popped out of a grave."

"Shut your mouth you Goddamn rat or I'll shut it for you!"

Yuki smirked, "That sounds like a challenge. Well, I'm up for a little before dinner exercise."

Kyou stood up. "Don't act like you've already won you cocky bastard!"

"Please go outside if you must fight. Spare my house!" Shigure pleaded with the two teens.

Yuki rose to meet Kyou eye to eye. "Don't worry Honda-san; this will be over before you get a chance to serve dinner."

Lightning quick, Kyou lunged at the prince, sending him through the paper doors.

"My house!" Shigure whined, not noticing that Kyou managed to tackle Yuki.

Yuki and Kyou landed in a heap in the outside garden. The two young fighters scrambled to reach stance.

"Well, it's about time you landed something, this might get interesting." Yuki said after the initial shock had won off.

"Scared now, you Damn Rat?" Kyou asked smugly.

"Of you? Please, don't make me laugh. Your girlfriend scares me more than you."

"Kagura is NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!" Kyou yelled as he swung his left fist at Yuki.

Yuki ducked and avoided his punch easily, but Kyou retaliated with his right and landed a strong hit on Yuki's stomach. He tried to take a breath but Kyou had winded him and he started to feel an asthma attack overtake his lungs.

"Yuki!" Tohru screamed, fearful for the young man.

Yuki stumbled back and Kyou, taking advantage of Yuki's breathless state kicked him to the ground. He straddled Yuki and began a series of hard punches that left the prince seeing stars and longing for air.

"Kyou, you beat him alright? Let him go!" Shigure yelled when he saw blood appearing at Yuki's mouth and nose.

Yuki clawed at the cat, desperate for oxygen. He grabbed at Kyou's sleeve and ripped it off, exposing his naked wrist to the world. Kyou fist stopped midair.

"Kyou, where are your beads…?" Shigure asked, shocked.

Kyou looked around at Shigure and Yuki underneath him, bloody and gasping for breath. Last of all, he looked at Tohru, the girl who had always been there for him. She couldn't look at him. Not after what he had done so cruelly to Yuki. For the first time he saw what he had become over the past few days… and he couldn't handle it. He threw one last look at Tohru and ran into the woods.

The last thing his newly sensitive ears heard was Tohru comforting her fallen prince.

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ok, i know its been WAY too long since ive updated and im terribly sorry. i wont even begin to list all of my excuses. but anyways, heres another chappie for you guys hope you like it. Ali out


	6. Yin and Yang

The last thing his newly sensitive ears heard was Tohru comforting her fallen prince.

"Yuki-Kun!" Tohru cried, cradling Yuki's head in her lap.

Tohru pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket and began to clean the blood from his face. _"Kyou, how could you do something like this? I knew you hated Yuki but... to attack his so brutally. It's almost inhuman."_ The girl thought.

"This is not good at all," Shigure said, dazed. "The prayer beads... What happened to them?"

From his tone, Tohru could tell that he didn't expect an answer to his question, but the guilt from keeping such an important thing secret from them had become too much.

"They broke." She said bluntly.

"They... Oh god! When did this happen?" Shigure asked with disbelief.

Tohru retold the story to Shigure and the slightly recovered Yuki. She watched the novelists eyebrows furrow deeper as he listened to the tale. When she had finished, the two youths looked expectantly at the writer.

"What's the big deal anyways? So what, that cat wont change into the other form anymore. Isn't that a good thing?" Yuki asked weakly, still trying to fully catch his breath.

Shigure looked grim. He exhaled heavily and looked at his feet, studying them intensely.

"Like with most things related with to this family, it has roots with the old legend of the Zodiac." The writer began. "With every spirit, there is a certain amount of good and a certain amount of evil. There is a necessary balance that must be maintained. Yin and Yang, as its called sometimes. Well, the day after the Zodiac banquet the cat learned of the rat's treachery, his rage was uncontrollable. This is when the cat's spiritual balance was offset, his desire for vengeance threatened to consume his soul entirely. To preserve the cat's spirit, the god separated the cat's spirit into two separate souls; the dominant one was normal, with a perfect ratio of Yin and Yang, but the other was almost complete darkness. To seal away the darker soul, the god gave the cat a string of prayer beads; black and white, to represent good and evil."

"So, now that the beads are broken?" Tohru asked timidly.

"There is no certain outsome. Nothing like this has ever happened before.I can only guessthat the two souls will begin to merge, and eventually, Kyou's soul will be eaten away by his thirst for revenge." Shigure predicted ominously.

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Yes I know. It really has been too long. Too many excuses and im pretty sure you guys don't want me to make them. ;; heres another chappie for you. Hope the whole explanation thing makes sense... oh yes, and I have currently been informed that kyous bracelet is actually red and white, something about them being soaked in blood or something... but im going to disregard that information. In my story, the beads are black and white :P hope you guys are liking the story, because im certainly having a ball writing it, even though I never seem to find the time to get around to it. ;; let me know what you think. ali out


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